Mrs. Lathrop was thinking very seriously of pinning a green stripe to a yellow polka-dotted weave which had once formed part of Mrs. Macy’s mother’s christening-robe, when Susan opened her lips and addressed her.  The attack was so sudden that the proprietor of the crazy-work started violently and dropped the piece of the christening-robe; but the slight accident had no effect upon her friend.

“It does beat me, Mrs. Lathrop,” she began, “how you can potter over that quilt year in and year out.  I sh’d think you’d be so dead-sick o’ the sight o’ them pieces ’t you’d be glad to dump the whole in the fire.  I don’t say but the idea is a nice one, an’ you know ’s well as I do that when they’re too frayed to wear every one’s nothin’ but glad to save you their bonnet-strings, but all the same my own feelin’ in the matter is ‘t a thing that ain’t come to sewin’ in two years ain’t never goin’ to come to bindin’ in my lifetime, an’ naturally that ’d leave you to finish your quilt some years after you was dead.  I don’t see how you’re goin’ to get a quilt out o’ them pieces anyhow.  This town ain’t give to choppin’ up their silk in a way that’s likely to leave you many scraps, ‘n’ I know ’s far ’s I’m concerned ’t if I had any good silk I sh’d certainly save it to mend with, ‘n’ I’m a rich woman too.”

“I ain’t tryin’ for a quilt,” said Mrs. Lathrop mildly, “I’m only—­”

“Mrs. Lathrop”—­Susan’s tone was emphatically outraged—­“Mrs. Lathrop, do you mean to say that after all this givin’ you ain’t goin’ to do your share?  ‘N’ me lettin’ you have the inside of the top of father’s hat, ‘n’ Mrs. Fisher savin’ you all her corners jus’ on your simple askin’.  You said a quilt, ‘n’ we give for a quilt, ‘n’ if you’ve changed your mind I must say I want the inside o’ the hat again to polish my parlor lookin’-glass with.”

“I ain’t got enough for the quilt,” said Mrs. Lathrop; “it’s a sofa-pillow I’m—­”

“Oh,” said Susan, much relieved, “well—­I’m glad to hear it.  I couldn’t hardly believe it of you, Mrs. Lathrop, ‘n’ yet if you can’t believe what a person says of themselves who can you believe when it comes to talkin’ about anybody?  I’m glad to know the truth, though, Mrs. Lathrop, for I was more upset ‘n I showed at the notion o’ losin’ faith in you.  You know what I think of you, ‘n’ I called you over to-night to ask your advice about suthin’ as has been roamin’ my head for a long time, ‘n’ you can mebbe understand ’s it didn’t over-please me to have your first remark one as I couldn’t in reason approve of.  A woman as ’ll begin a quilt ‘n’ trade hen’s eggs ‘n’ all but go aroun’ town on her bended knees to get the old ties of other women’s lawful husbands, jus’ to give up in the end has got no advisin’ stuff for me inside o’ her.  I wouldn’t like to hurt your feelin’s, Mrs. Lathrop, ‘n’ as long as you say it’s a sofa-pillow o’ course there’s no harm done, but still it was a shock ‘n’ I can’t deny it.”